Habanero
Habanero
The habanero (/ˌ(h)ɑːbəˈnɛəroʊ/; Spanish: [aβaˈneɾo] ⓘ) is a hot variety of chili. Unripe habaneros are green, and they color as they mature. The most common color variants are orange and red, but the fruit may also be white, brown, yellow, green, or purple.[1] Typically, a ripe habanero is 2–6 centimetres (3⁄4–2+1⁄4 inches) long. Habanero chilis are very hot, rated 100,000–350,000 on the Scoville scale. The habanero heat, flavor, and floral aroma make it a common ingredient in hot sauces and other spicy foods.
Name
The habanero is named after the Cuban city of La Habana, known in English as Havana, because it used to feature heavily in trading there. (Despite the name, habaneros and other spicy-hot ingredients are rarely used in traditional Cuban cooking.)[2][3] In English, it is sometimes incorrectly spelled habañero and pronounced /ˌ(h)ɑːbəˈnjɛəroʊ/, the tilde being added as a hyperforeignism patterned after jalapeño.[4]